DERRY BORN boxer Tyrone McCullough, boxing out of Inishowen's Illies Golden Gloves ABC, will represent Ireland when he travels to Guadalajara, Mexico City today to compete in the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships.
SIMON COLLINS reports
The 18-years-old southpaw will be the only representative from the North-West among the eight Irish fighters taking part in the prestigious competition and he’s confident of returning with an individual medal.
Having compe
ted in the Cadet World Boxing Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2007, the highly impressive Derry lad believes he has greatly improved as a boxer and is better prepared for this year’s tournament. And judging by his performances over the course of the year, a bright future in boxing awaits the talented Illies boxer.
“I can’t wait to get over there, I feel I’m better prepared for this Championship than the one in Azerbaijan,” he said. “That was a good experience and a great learning curve for me.
“I’ve been training in a high performance camp in Dublin along with my coaches, Jimmy Moore (Dublin) and Johnny Payne (Waterford) and I’ve been sparring with the current Under-18 European champion from Romania so I’m fairly confident of doing well.
“It’s exciting to be involved in such a major tournament and hopefully I’ll come back with a medal. I’ll not know who I’m fighting in the first round until the draw is made on the day of the tournament but if I can keep away from the home nation’s boxers and the Cubans and Russians, I should do okay.”
The Irish squad travels to Guadalajara for a training camp today awhere it will train and spar with boxers from Russia, Uzbekistan and France. Germany may also join the training camp.
The 2008 AIBA Youth World Championships will take place between October 25th - November 1st at the Lopez Mateo's Gymnasium in Guadalajara with 68 nations competing.
The Irish squad for AIBA Youth World Championships - 51 kgs - Ruari Dalton (St John's, Belfast); 54 kgs - Tyrone McCullagh (Illies GG); 57 kgs - Tyrone McKenna (Oliver Plunkett, Belfast); 60 kgs - Ray Moylett (St Anne's, Westport); 64 kgs - Jamie Kavanagh (Crumlin); 69 kgs - David Joyce (St Michael's, Athy); 75 kgs - Bernard Roe (Dublin Dock-lands); 81 kgs - Thomas McCarthy (Oliver Plunkett, Belfast).
Conor at Commonwealth Games
Meanwhile, St Joseph’s ABC boxer, Conor Coyle will also represent N.
The full article contains 410 words and appears in Journal Friday newspaper.
